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As I mentioned at the meeting, Mark installed the Smittybilt bolt-in cage a week or so Back.  I was there to help tighten the bolts at the end and also to get a few pictures:

View From Above:


view from the back looking forward:


View from the front looking back:


Side View of the front:

Got this info in an e-mail from my Uncle.  It pretty interesting, and a lot of it sounds plausible, but some it sounds like BS to me... Like a stock V8 wouldn't run the superharger??Any of you mechanics & Engineers want to weigh in?

Ever wonder why a Top Fuel dragster gets a rebuilt engine after each run?

Stay with this - even if you aren't a 'car nut', this is stunning:

* One Top Fuel dragster outfitted with a 500 cubic-inch replica Dodge (actually Keith Black, etc) Hemi engine makes more horsepower (8,000 HP) than the first 4 rows of cars at NASCAR's Daytona 500.

* Under full throttle, a dragster engine will consume 11.2 gallons of nitro methane per second;a fully loaded Boeing 747 consumes jet fuel at the same rate but with 25% less energy being produced.

* A stock Dodge Hemi V8 engine cannot produce enough power to merely drive the dragster's supercharger.

* With 3000 CFM of air being rammed in by the supercharger on overdrive, the fuel mixture is compressed into a near-solid form before ignition. Cylinders run on the verge of hydraulic lockup at full throttle.

* At the stoichio metric 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture for nitro methane the flame front temperature measures 7050 degrees F.

* Nitro methane burns yellow. The spectacular white flame seen above the stacks at night is raw burning hydrogen, dissociated from atmospheric water vapor by the searing exhaust gases.

* Dual magnetos supply 44 amps to each spark plug. Which is typically the output of an electric arc welder in each cylinder.

* Spark plug electrodes are totally consumed during a pass. After 1/2 way thru the run, the engine is 'dieseling' from compression and the glow of the exhaust valves at 1400 degrees F. The engine can only be shut down by cutting the fuel flow.

* If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro builds up in the affected cylinders and then explodes with enough sufficient force to blow the cylinder heads off the block in pieces or split the block in half !!

* Dragsters reach over 300 MPH +... before you have completed reading this sentence.

* In order to exceed 300 MPH in 4.5 seconds, a dragster must accelerate an average of over 4 G's. In order to reach 200 MPH well before reaching half-track, at launch the acceleration approaches 8 G's.

* Top Fuel engines turn approximately 540 revolutions from light to light!

* Including the burnout, the engine must only survive 900 revolutions under load.

* The redline is actually quite high at 9500 RPM.

* THE BOTTOM LINE: Assuming all the equipment is paid for, the pit crew is working for free,
& NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run will cost an estimated $1,000 per second.

0 to 100 MPH in .8 seconds (the first 60 feet of t he run).

0 to 200 MPH in 2.2 seconds (the first 350 feet of the run).

6 g-forces at the starting line (nothing accelerates faster on land).

6 negative g-forces upon deployment of twin 'chutes at 300 MPH.


An NHRA Top Fuel Dragster accelerates quicker than any other land vehicle on earth ... quicker than a jet fighter plane... quicker than the space shuttle....or snapping your fingers!

The current Top Fuel dragster elapsed time record is 4.420 seconds for the quarter-mile (2004, Doug Kalitta).

The top speed record is 337.58 MPH as measured over the last 66' of the run (2005, Tony Schumacher).

Let's now put this all into perspective:

Imagine this...........You are driving a new $140,000 Lingenfelter twin-turbo powered Corvette Z-06. Over a mile up the road, a Top Fuel dragster is staged & ready to 'launch' down a quarter-mile strip as you pass. You have the advantage of a flying start. You run the 'Vette hard, on up through the gears and blast across the starting line and pass the dragster at an honest 200 MPH.

The 'tree' goes green for both of you at that exact moment. The dragster departs & starts after you. You keep your foot buried hard to the floor, and suddenly you hear an incredibly brutally screaming whine that seares and pummels your eardrums & within a mere 3 seconds the dragster effortlessly catches & passes you.  He beats you to the finish line, a quarter-mile away from where you just passed him. Think about it – from a standing start, the dragster had spotted you 200 MPH.....and it not only caught, but nearly blasted you off the planet when he passed you within a mere 1320 foot long race!

That, my friends.....is acceleration

West Branch in January was a blast, but for those that think 10" of snow is not enough we will heading further north in February to go Wheeling in Grayling at the end of the month..  This is on Federal land at the military base and there are some pretty neat sites to see while out in the woods including grenade launcher ranges and other live ordinance areas (That are all fenced off obviously - neat to read the signs though!)

The club will also be bowling before our February meeting on Sunday the 9th.  If you are interested in joining us for the trail ride, bowling, or meeting guests are always welcome.  PM me for details!

I don't know if everyone saw it last night, but I made a Calendar with 12 months of wheeling pictures from WLB for the club box.  A couple people that did see it asked me to get them one made.  There happens to be a 40% off coupon right now on the calendars at Walgreens, so I can get them made for $12.00 (plus tax) each.  I know Mark, Wendy, and some else (Russ maybe?) gave me money at the meeting... would anybody else be interested in a calendar?  I need to know ASAP so I can order with the coupon...

Rigs Represented on the Calnedar include:
Russ, Sid, Mark, Wendy, Ryan, Cameron, Suzanne, Jim, Scott, Paul H & Tony plus the group shot from Bundy hill last year.  If you are not currently listed, I can make a version of the clanedar that will include you for one of the months (Probably in place of the group shot).  Let me know!

A good day of snow wheeling in the West Branch/St. Helen area.  Thanks to Paul H and Ryan for splitting the trail guide duties.  Lots of winching up a couple of hills and Cameron gets the nomination for stuck-of-the-month for sliding of the trail just enough that we had to winch him out...

Our January plans include a day of wheeling in the West Branch/St. Helen area the first weekend of the month.  Details are posted in the member forums.  Not a member yet, but interested in some snow wheeling?  PM me for details.

Also planning a "social event" in January - club sledding trip, bowling, or something similar...  Come to our Meeting this Sunday, January 5th at the Point to learn more about the club and find out about these trips and other upcoming events.

Somebody at work mentioned to me that jeep was making a new "Jeep Willys" this year... I suspected it was likely a trim package similar to the "polar", "Islander" and others, and sure enough here it is...

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/11/18/2014-jeep-wrangler-willys-wheeler-edition-pricing-los-angeles-photos/

Sure looks like a JK to me...

A few good Shots of the cars dressed up for Jeep Creep, starting with our Own Jim Woodend's Ode to the Detroit Lions:

Here are a couple of pics from the color tour... I didn't get a chance to take too many, a few more are over on the FB page I believe...

With all the fun stuff from this fall behind us, it is time to look forward to some of the best wheeling of the year... Even a couple inches of snow can make some of the mundane trails around Michigan much more interesting and a foot or more makes for some really challenging runs!  We will be making our Third Annual December trip to Rocks and Valleys ORV park in Harrison, MI this year.  I know at least one of our members is planning to join Michigan Wheelers for their Whitefish run at the end of December as well...Details posted in the members only sections of the forum.

Not a member yet?  Come to our meeting the first Sunday in December for more information or PM me for details.   

November is usually a tough month to get a big trip together with so many of us out in the woods hunting, but we do have a couple items on the Agenda!  Wheeling for a few hours at the mounds Prior to our November meeting has become something of a tradition so we will plan to be there on November 3rd.

We will also be holding our 6th annual donation drive at the Mounds on Thanksgiving day to benefit the Eastern Michigan Food bank.  If you will be wheeling that day before the big dinner, bring along some canned goods or cash donations and come see us for some free coffee, hot cocoa and snacks.

6 rigs from WLB (including one geo - the jeep stayed home this trip) and three guests had a great day at Bundy Hill last weekend.  We found lots of super think, snotty mud, some pretty scary hills, and great wheeling all day.  Here are a few pics from the camers phone:

A view of the WLB rigs down in the Devil's Hole:


One of those perilous hills... Only Scott and Ed would even attempt this one...


Following the Geo into the Devil's Hole:

Great Stuff coming up in October!

We will be doing a Fall Color Tour in Oscoda the first weekend in October. A great Beginner trip - lots of easy two tracks and gorgeous scenery.  As an added bonus we get up early and do some Salmon fishing in the Au Sable River each morning before we hit the trails!

Later on in the month What Lies Beyond will be taking over one of the Suites at Riverwalk Place in Gladwin for The Jeep Creep Weekend.  Jeeps "dressed up" for Halloween, driver's challenge course, trunk or treat for the kids, Midland Brewing Beer and a Band for Saturday night, then discounted admission to R&V's on Sunday! 

Complete details in the members forums.  If you are not yet a member, but think those trips sound like fun, PM me for details or come to our September/October meetings! 

Saturdays are "the day to play" for What Lies Beyond next month.  We have our annual end-of-summer cookout and a day trip to Bundy Hill Offroad Park scheduled on Saturdays in September. Full Details are posted in members only sections of the forums but if you want to get in on the fun consider coming to our next meeting - Sunday August 11th at The Point in Grand Blanc.  If you can't make the meeting, PM me and I can fill you in if you'd like to join us for either of these events. 

Thanks again to Suzanne and Dave for Hosting the club this weekend and Thanks to Jim for being our trail leader in some fairly unfamiliar territory!  Didn't get too many pictures, but here are a couple:

From Jim's album at the bantam festival... Need to find her this decal!

I was actually driving up near Saginaw today and heard a commercial advertising Jeep Night at Castaways on the Radio!  We talked at the meeting about going up a second time this summer hoping for better weather... How about the Thursday between Silver Lake and the Tubin Trip?  Next Thursday July 25th? Anyone else interested?

What Lies Beyond Jeep Club will be heading to the Evart, MI area in August for wheeling in the Pere Marquette State forest and a river tubing trip thrown in for some great family fun.  Full details of the trip are posted in our members only forums, but if it sounds like a good time to you, come to our next meeting this Sunday July 14th to learn more!  Meeting details are on the home page of the website when you first log in.

Later in our August is our second trail maintenance trip to Atlanta, MI.  A weekend of camping at Clear Lake state park and a day of work on the trails.  A great time and a worthwhile project! Details in the members area. 

Anybody interested in Driving out to Grand Rapids tomorrow for Founders Fest?  Big street party with live music, food vendors, entertainers, local artisans, and specialty batch Founders Beer... Probably should buy tickets on-line tonight to ensure we get in if anybody wants to go... Call me directly if you're interested...

Or, if feeling more adventurous, R&V's or Bundy Hill?  I know its short notice, but its supposed to be a great weekend weather-wise, if I am not mistaken and it would be great to get out and play!